Bill Richardson
West Virginia University Extension Service
Mingo County Courthouse, Rm. 3
Williamson, WV 25661
(304) 235-0370, (304) 235-0575 fax

Many economic development programs are focused on the symptoms of economic decline (retention of retail, downtown revitalization etc.). These are valuable initiatives but unless we address the underlying causes of economic decline then we are only postponing the inevitable. In most rural areas the underlying cause of economic decline is the loss of foundational businesses and industries. The only way to insure long term economic viability is to find ways to replace the foundational industries that are leaving. The largest and fastest growing industry in the world is tourism and the types of tourism experiences that people are looking for are more diverse than ever before. Tourism is now becoming a viable new economic option for even the most rural areas and this presentation will provide you with a roadmap for developing tourism in your area.

The session will outline a process for rural tourism development and will provide examples of success from very low resource communities. It will provide an introduction to a proven tourism development process and examples of success stories to inspire participants. The session is targeted at any individuals trying to find economic development options for rural communities. Educational resources developed using this process include an online course, textbook and tourism development tools. The goal of the session is to introduce participants to a practical, step-by-step process for developing tourism in a rural area.

PowerPoint presentation (PDF format, 347 kb)